Expensive paint or stick to Dulux

Expensive paint or stick to Dulux

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Discussion

guindilias

5,245 posts

119 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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The Dulux diamond matt is similar - you really need to do it right and work fast, or it looks rubbish - and will pull the paint off the wall if you put on a second coat too early. or try and touch up any slightly dry spots.
I do the cutting in first, as quickly as possible, and then lay on a good thick coat with a roller, and really roll it right out over the whole wall - then do the same on the next wall.
The F&B stuff might be the same - the Dulux diamond stuff isn't easy to paint with, you need to learn how to put it on properly.
The normal "trade" stuff and the standard matt from the big sheds is very easy to use - but I just find that it's a rubbish paint - being user friendly is the only good thing about it.
I think that's probably the case for all the cheaper paints - it certainly is with Homebase own brand, the Screwfix trade stuff, and a couple of others I've used but forget the name of - easy to use, but just not a decent paint!

Dont like rolls

3,798 posts

53 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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FYI, if you need to thin F&B use Halfords premixed screenwash......add no more than 10%........20% if you need to spray it.

singlecoil

33,313 posts

245 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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So there you have it OP, a diverse range of opinions. Do you feel your question has been answered?

You might have well have asked about cordless power tools . The answer is that there is not so much no answer, but rather that there are too many answers.

Meeten-5dulx

2,559 posts

55 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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Just painted a room (office for wfh) and whilst I thought the FB Elephants breath was the colour for me, it didn’t work.
Got some VALSPAR paints for b&q and found a colour that worked and put that on. They have 3grades and I went for the top one. Needed 2coats of it and looks great. I’m no professional decorator but the finish looks good to me and more importantly to her as well.

I would definitely use these paints again when she tells me to sort out other rooms.

hotchy

4,454 posts

125 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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I see nothing wrong with dulux. It covers well and it's one DIY job I absolutely hate. I enjoy laying floors, hanging doors yesterday pretty much anything. Painting? Nah not for me. Could be because iv been renovating a house for near 7 months now and honestly. Painting is such a horrible job. Next time I'll pay a man.

Fore Left

1,411 posts

181 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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I've recently painted the walls in 4 rooms using Homebase own brand paint as it was all that was available during lockdown. Went on fine - the key is in the prep - and two coats onto slightly darker walls gave coverage and a finish that will be perfectly acceptable for 95% of people. The other 5% are posting in this thread biglaugh

AlBondigaz

172 posts

66 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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I've used a lot of different paint over the years, but now pretty much stick to F&B.

Keep an eye out at BnQ & Homebase. They often have three for two offers on the emulsion which softens the price blow a little.

paulrockliffe

15,639 posts

226 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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Little Lofty said:
Most of what you buy in the likes of B&Q is crap, even Dulux, trade paint is much better, it’s more expensive but coverage is usually better. I’m using emulsion and satin from Johnstone’s that was mixed to match a F&B colour, it’s less than half the price.
I would normally have said the same, but I had B&Q mix up some of their own-brand paint paint for some planters 4 years ago, they've sat outside since and they're still as bright and as perfectly finished as the day I painted them. Quite impressed considering it was relatively cheap and you can have any colour you like.

More relevant though, I painted the house in Dulux form B&Q and it's been absolutely ste. Fine until the kids came along, but it marks so easily and once it's marked it is uncleanable. Whatever you use takes the paint off, even water, so at absolute best you lose the texture so it stands out in the light. Doesn't touch up very well either, so 6 years down the line and most of the house needs repainting.

Which considering how much I hate painting and how bad my wife is at it, is frankly not good enough.

Uggers

2,223 posts

210 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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I've been painting the interior of my house on and off for 8 years now. Tried pretty much every make going.
I find Dulux stuff good BUT not the regular stuff from B&Q (though the diamond range is pretty good)

I will always get my paint from the dulux decorating centres now. Don't know what the difference is to regular stuff but seems to go on very well and I find a 2nd coat is touch and go if its really necessary.

It's not the cheapest but a good halfway house to the F&B. I cannot justify the cost difference when I have bought probably 200+L of paint over the years.



Pheo

3,324 posts

201 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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Recently locally someone was complaining of the valspar lid popping off in the boot of their car, ruining it.

I would always double bag the tins now coming back from anywhere nomatter what brand but the B&Q plastic tins seem particularly prone to it.

The acrylic / scrubbable Matt paints are a bit odd to work with, indeed if they have started to dry and you go back over itll come off, much better to paint quickly and then do another coat when dry.

blueg33

35,586 posts

223 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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guindilias said:
blueg33 said:
Duluth trade every time. Very good paint, way better than F&B, but not especially cheap. A dulux trade centre will match colours with anything.
I found their colour matching to be miles off - I brought in a bit of plasterboard with the colour I wanted on it - fella calibrated his little tool, scanned it, and made me up a sample - it was miles out. I mean really far. The fella actually said to me "I could do that 50 times and get 50 different results"".
If you have already had some mixed to order, bring in the can or just the label - they can match that bang on by putting in the mix numbers.
Otherwise, hopeless IMO - I wanted a mid grey, he tried and showed me 3 samples from the machine on the little screen - one wasn't a million miles off, one was a very light grey, one was like slate.

So if you do get a sample matched and it's OK, make sure you bring in the sample tin for them to type the mix in, or you might get an unpleasant surprise...
Matched both our bathrooms fine, we did sample posts from f&b and dulux trade. They were pretty much identical. Dulux goes on much more nicely and covers better.

paulrockliffe

15,639 posts

226 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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Pheo said:
Recently locally someone was complaining of the valspar lid popping off in the boot of their car, ruining it.

I would always double bag the tins now coming back from anywhere nomatter what brand but the B&Q plastic tins seem particularly prone to it.

The acrylic / scrubbable Matt paints are a bit odd to work with, indeed if they have started to dry and you go back over itll come off, much better to paint quickly and then do another coat when dry.
Last time I bought some B&Q taped the lid on at the check out for exactly this reason!

abzmike

8,242 posts

105 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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Uggers said:
I've been painting the interior of my house on and off for 8 years now. Tried pretty much every make going.
I find Dulux stuff good BUT not the regular stuff from B&Q (though the diamond range is pretty good)

I will always get my paint from the dulux decorating centres now. Don't know what the difference is to regular stuff but seems to go on very well and I find a 2nd coat is touch and go if its really necessary.

It's not the cheapest but a good halfway house to the F&B. I cannot justify the cost difference when I have bought probably 200+L of paint over the years.
Blimey - how bulking is your house?

Fastpedeller

3,848 posts

145 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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Pheo said:
Recently locally someone was complaining of the valspar lid popping off in the boot of their car, ruining it.

I would always double bag the tins now coming back from anywhere nomatter what brand but the B&Q plastic tins seem particularly prone to it.

The acrylic / scrubbable Matt paints are a bit odd to work with, indeed if they have started to dry and you go back over itll come off, much better to paint quickly and then do another coat when dry.
This is a pet hate of mine after I bought a can of GRP resin once and the lid came off whilst driving home. The mess was horrendous. Worse still was the suppliers 'attitude' that he didn't put metal clips on the lids any more because of 'safety'. I pointed out I was more than capable of putting a finger on the spring clip as I removed it to prevent it pinging into my eye. He refused to fit (or let me fit) the spring clips. We settled on a couple of lengths of tape. I won't take any away unless they have at least some tape over the lid. BTDT.
The other thing that really irritates is the very thin lids that mean it's almost impossible to get the lid off if the paint had been used - Come back to use it in 6 months and that's the only occasion you'll be able to use it ...... after that the lid/seal is destroyed. Go to buy more paint in a year and all the colours have changed to even more stupid names!

rxe

6,700 posts

102 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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Dulux diamond here. With two grubby children and two filthy dogs, it’s claims about cleaning have been put to the test severely. We regularly have to hit it with the steam cleaner - comes up fine every time.

No idea how it goes on, I bloody hate painting. Get a man to do it.

eldar

21,614 posts

195 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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Tikkurila paints. Far better than anything, plus a huge range of specialist stuff.

guitarcarfanatic

1,570 posts

134 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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eldar said:
Tikkurila paints. Far better than anything, plus a huge range of specialist stuff.
And you can buy direct - I use their furniture paint and it's amazing. Haven't tried their matt, but suspect it is also top notch.

blueg33

35,586 posts

223 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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paulrockliffe said:
Pheo said:
Recently locally someone was complaining of the valspar lid popping off in the boot of their car, ruining it.

I would always double bag the tins now coming back from anywhere nomatter what brand but the B&Q plastic tins seem particularly prone to it.

The acrylic / scrubbable Matt paints are a bit odd to work with, indeed if they have started to dry and you go back over itll come off, much better to paint quickly and then do another coat when dry.
Last time I bought some B&Q taped the lid on at the check out for exactly this reason!
Dulux decorating centres use metal clips on the cans.

Johnsons Matt is brilliant on fresh plaster.

guindilias

5,245 posts

119 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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eldar said:
Tikkurila paints. Far better than anything, plus a huge range of specialist stuff.
Have you tried their Optiva Matt, or the ceramic super matt alternative? I've used their exterior stuff before, but never their emulsion.

MellowshipSlinky

14,673 posts

188 months

Sunday 5th July 2020
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guitarcarfanatic said:
eldar said:
Tikkurila paints. Far better than anything, plus a huge range of specialist stuff.
And you can buy direct - I use their furniture paint and it's amazing. Haven't tried their matt, but suspect it is also top notch.
For light critical ceilings (those particularly with windows at either end) I only use their Anti Reflex 2.
Brilliant stuff.
The Helmi white is a bit difficult to cover but the colours are top notch over the appropriate primer.

Johnstones Covaplus is also good, but the brilliant white now has appalling opacity, sometimes needing 4 coats over a light colour, whereas 12 months ago two coats would do.
Don’t know what they’ve done to it, but it’s poor.
Colours are fine though.
Their scrubbable matt is also very good (better than Dulux diamond matt in my opinion, and cheaper).

Edited by MellowshipSlinky on Sunday 5th July 15:27